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High school winter sports enter their most unforgiving stage this week – the CIF Southern Section Ford playoffs. For the next two or three weeks, a loss means the abrupt end of line for teams that have qualified for the playoffs – an accomplishment in itself.

Dos Pueblos High’s girls soccer team is the first to play do-or-die match on Tuesday (Feb. 12). The Chargers will host Simi Valley in a wild-card game. The winner will advance to the first round Thursday at Mira Costa.

All three city schools (Santa Barbara, San Marcos and Dos Pueblos) are represented in three playoff sports – girls water polo, boys basketball and girls soccer. Santa Barbara’s Dons are the top-seeded team in Division 1 water polo. They host a wild-card winner in the first round Wednesday. San Marcos also plays in its home pool against Edison.

San Marcos has the highest-seeded boys basketball team, No. 6 in Division 3AA, and will face Palos Verdes on Wednesday night. Santa Barbara (Division 3AAA), the Channel League champion, will host Beverly Hills. Dos Pueblos will be the home team for its Division 2A opener against Norwalk on Friday.

Santa Barbara is second-seeded in Division 3AA girls basketball, starting Thursday. Bishop Diego (Division 5AA) also has a home game. Providence Hall, No. 2 in Division 6, has a bye and will play its second-round game Saturday.

Santa Barbara surpassed Buena for the Channel League girls soccer championship for the first time in 27 years and will host Millikan on Thursday. The Dons boys, second in the league, will take to the pitch against Fountain Valley on Friday.

The complete schedule of opening-round playoff games follows.

In college action, Westmont College is closing in on the Golden State Athletic Conference championships in both men’s and women’s basketball. Both teams are home for their next two conference games, Tuesday against The Master’s and Saturday against Arizona Christian. The Warrior men also play CSU San Marcos on Thursday.

UCSB surged into contention for the Big West women’s title with two big wins on the road last week against UC Davis and first-place Pacific. The Gauchos will take on Cal Poly, which beat them by 19 points in San Luis Obispo last month, in a Saturday afternoon showdown. The game is part of the Play 4Kay initiative, and the participants will wear pink to call attention to breast cancer. Some of the proceeds will benefit the Kay Yow Cancer Fund